Chapter 8: Pollution Containment Shelter

Chapter 8 Pollution Containment Shelter

"The Undertaker was mentioned in Chapter 7 of the final instance. The plot described: 'Pollution causes humans to mutate, mutation causes panic among humans, and human panic is the best nourishment for the Undertaker.'"

"It appeared in the eastern district of Q City. When the guard team and the Pollution Containment Shelter arrived, they only saw scene upon scene of corpses frozen in despair. Beside the bodies, humanoid Ravens sang the final requiem."

"So the Undertaker and the Ravens aren't good entities. Using them and then taking them down is deeply satisfying."

Shen Ji flipped through the book in his hands while occasionally responding to the system.

This wasn't exactly a book but rather a compendium of pollution diseases—a compilation of all pollution illnesses treated since the Pollution Containment Shelter's establishment, including their characteristics and treatment methods.

As a journalist, Shen Ji had a habit of loving to read, especially detailed materials like this. He believed that truth could be discovered in the details.

Because of this, Shen Ji uncovered an entirely new world in this collection that was never touched upon in the original work.

Unlike the rush of adrenaline-fueled satisfaction of the protagonist relying on powerful abilities to level up, the atmosphere in the Pollution Containment Shelter was something entirely different.

The suffering of patients, the futility felt by doctors, the root of pollution... It could be said that many cases of pollution were related to human emotions and mental states. Yet, it was precisely these elements that best reflected a person's life. Shen Ji felt as though he were reading a series of human horror stories.

Shen Ji thought: This would make for excellent reporting!

Unfortunately, the profession of journalism no longer existed in this world.

"This book is indeed quite good; it supplements a lot of knowledge," the system said proudly. "I've already recorded all the content from this book. Next time, you can just ask me directly."

"Is that so?" Shen Ji absentmindedly turned another page. "Shouldn't you, as a system, have already had this data archived?"

"I'm a system, not a god. Like you, I only have knowledge about the original work. Any additional knowledge can only be supplemented over time."

It sounded like AI training and expansion. Well, at least it was a studious system—not completely worthless.

Just then, footsteps echoed. Shen Ji shifted his gaze from the book and looked to the side, where Doctor Wang, in a white coat, stood before him. Shen Ji remembered him—it was the doctor who had spoken to him earlier: Wang Anle.

"Doctor Wang?" Shen Ji didn’t stand up but remained seated, meeting Doctor Wang’s gaze. "Is there something you need?"

"Xiao Ji, may I call you that?"

Shen Ji didn’t refuse.

Although his surname was Shen, and normally people should call him Xiao Shen, for some reason, everyone who knew him uniformly called him "Xiao Ji." He was used to it by now.

"Could you come with me? My assistant took unexpected leave today, and I really couldn’t find anyone else to fill in. It seems like you’re not busy at the moment."

Shen Ji met his gaze and, after a few seconds, nodded. He stood up from his chair, brisk and tidy. "Of course, no problem."

Doctor Wang looked at the young man with appreciation.

From the moment Shen Ji was confirmed to be a mutant and kept at the Pollution Containment Shelter, Doctor Wang had taken a liking to him. He never judged people by their appearance but by their vitality and demeanor. Shen Ji carried a rare sense of steadiness about him and always kept himself impeccably groomed. Just standing there, he gave off a reassuring presence.

Now, knowing that he was likely a doctor trained by a secret department, Doctor Wang found him even more agreeable. As expected of a special doctor—he must have experienced major ordeals to remain so calm.

Of course, Doctor Wang also knew he shouldn’t be approaching Shen Ji at this time. If their assumptions were correct, any rash move could cause this special doctor to leave. But he couldn’t wait any longer. His wife couldn’t wait either. He had to get on Shen Ji’s radar.

His colleagues in the know also turned a blind eye—they all wanted to help him.

With a nervous heart, Doctor Wang led Shen Ji down several floors.

Shen Ji looked at the floor indicators in the elevator. Beyond Ward III, these areas were restricted access for temporary personnel like him. Moreover, they weren’t heading to Ward IV but to a floor marked with cryptic markings.

There was a red cross painted on it, with a black diagonal line struck through it.

"This is the special symbol of the shelter," Doctor Wang explained, noticing Shen Ji's fixed gaze on the mark. "It takes in medical staff who have been contaminated from occupational exposure."

"The shelter's pollution leak incident led to a large number of medical personnel being contaminated through occupational exposure. Due to its aggressive nature, by the end of the original story, fewer than one in ten victims remained. The Q City shelter was severely damaged and had to bring in doctors from other cities to fill the vacancies."

"The massive loss of medical staff was one of the reasons Q City fell so quickly. The rapid spread of pollution and the collapse of the medical system made the contamination event even worse."

After exiting the elevator, Shen Ji followed Doctor Wang inside. He could see many quarantined victims.

Unlike Ward I, the patients here appeared much worse. Most had been brought in without even removing their protective suits or white coats. Pus from their rotting limbs had stained their clothes a brownish-red. They lay on the ground, barely alive, with festering wounds covering their bodies, coated in a fine, white mold. One had even had all their hands and feet rotted away.

"The Pollution Prevention Center named the pollutant responsible for this occupational exposure 'Decaying Organism'," Doctor Wang said, his eyes filled with distress as he looked at his former colleagues in the isolation rooms. "There's something living inside their rotting limbs, but we haven't been able to capture it."

"It causes human bodies to rot and deform, altering their form, and we can’t stop this process."

The system made a puzzled sound. "Is this Hui’s pollution?"

'Why are you phrasing it as a question?'

"Although fungi tend to grow in decaying areas, especially around rotten leaves and decaying wood, Hui’s pollution doesn’t cause rot. It strips all nutrients in an instant. If it gets serious, a person would be drained dry before they could even react."

"Besides, your mushrooms right now... they eat, sleep, eat again, and sleep again. They have no desire to attack, nor any intention to rot people."

Shen Ji: ...

'Are they mushrooms or pigs?'

"Pig mushrooms."

Not in the mood for the system’s bad jokes, Shen Ji observed the patients. His outward demeanor was always serious and attentive; staring at something for more than three seconds made it seem like he was pondering something important. To Doctor Wang, this looked like he was considering how to treat these patients. He didn’t dare make a sound, afraid that a single word might interrupt Shen Ji’s train of thought.

However, before he could speak, the alarm he was carrying went off.

Shen Ji and Doctor Wang both turned toward the source of the sound.

"Warning: Pollution level has increased by 10!"

"Second warning: Abnormal rise in Contaminant I-27. Current pollution level: 18!"

"Warning: Pollution level increased by 3 again!"

"I-27?!" Doctor Wang’s eyes widened. "Isn’t that Lin Yujuan and Chen Guo’s isolation room?!"

Did something go wrong?!

Doctor Wang rushed toward the elevator, Shen Ji following closely behind.

'Has the pollution level fluctuated?' Shen Ji asked the system.

"Theoretically, it shouldn’t have," the system said, sounding puzzled. "Your contamination can completely suppress 'Araki,' but Chen Guo is a perfectly evolved polluted subject. It’s not entirely impossible for a change to occur, though I don’t think this is a resurgence of pollution."

'Then what could it be?'

"Actually, it seems a bit like... the transition period when a Mutant awakens."

"What did you say?" Shen Ji suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Doctor Wang was taken aback and looked at Shen Ji. "Xiao Ji, what’s wrong?"

"It's nothing." Shen Ji shook his head at Doctor Wang, quickly reining in his tone to appear calm, even gently reassuring him, "Don't worry, she might be experiencing a unique situation—it doesn’t seem like a resurgence of pollution. There might even be a positive outcome."

"...One moment you're startled and questioning me sharply, the next you're kindly comforting others. Are you really not mood-swinging?"

'That’s because I need to maintain a serious and reliable persona. And what did you just say? Is she in the post-awakening refractory phase? Has Chen Guo awakened as a mutant?' Shen Ji thought.

"Possibly."

The two arrived at Ward I, where other doctors who had received the news were already gathered. This was the most doctors he'd ever seen together at the shelter.

They frowned as they watched Chen Guo’s rapidly climbing contamination readings, discussing incessantly, each voice filled with disbelief.

They exclaimed, 'Impossible!' 'How could this happen?!' 'Could we have been wrong?'

While debating, they also stole several glances at him.

Shen Ji: …

Were they still trying to pin the blame on him, a contract employee?

Amid their discussions, Chen Guo’s pollution level continued to spike dramatically, the alarm blaring continuously as it approached 50.

"This can’t go on! Get her to Ward III immediately!" one of the doctors shouted. "Call for backup now! If she isn’t moved to a more secure containment unit, the pollution she’s leaking could affect everyone in this entire ward!"

"It seems her previous drop in pollution was just a facade—a unique property of her contamination!"

"Hurry, make the call!"

Just as the doctors pulled out their phones to request the transfer team, Doctor Wang suddenly interjected, "Wait!"

"Let’s observe a bit longer!"

Chen Guo’s surging pollution level made his heart clench. He feared he might be wrong, that Shen Ji wasn’t some extraordinary physician he had hoped for. Yet, he clung to a sliver of hope. Before arriving, Shen Ji had told him, "There might be a pleasant surprise." Call him foolish or ignorant—he didn’t care.

For once, he chose not to trust the data but to believe in a glimmer of hope.

"Old Wang, you’ve lost your mind!" The narrow-eyed doctor grabbed Doctor Wang by the collar. "Do you have any idea what could happen if such high pollution levels remain in Ward I?"

"Every other patient here will be affected!"

"Just a little longer, I promise. It won’t impact the other patients," Doctor Wang pleaded almost desperately.

Hearing the despair in Doctor Wang’s voice, the narrow-eyed doctor finally let out a resigned sigh.

He ignored Doctor Wang’s plea and directly called for the containment team to transfer Chen Guo to Ward III immediately. Doctor Wang opened his mouth to speak but ultimately lowered his head and remained silent.

Nearby, Shen Ji observed the dispute in silence. Amid the chaos, the system maintained its mechanical tone, updating in Shen Ji’s consciousness.

"Wang Anle, a practicing physician at Q City Shelter, has worked there since its establishment and participated in handling numerous pollution incidents. His wife, Tang You, is both his life partner and work colleague. A week ago, she was contaminated due to occupational exposure and is currently placed in containment. Her pollution level is Phase III, nearing the critical threshold."

"He is someone who is hoping even more intensely than we are for Chen Guo’s recovery—not just for the patient’s sake, but for his wife’s as well."

"Fortunately, he truly got to witness a miracle."

As soon as the system fell silent, the alarm sounded again.

"Warning: Contamination levels dropping by 10."

"Warning: Contamination levels dropping by 12."

"Alert: Contamination levels dropping sharply!"

The alarm caused all the doctors present to turn their heads in unison. They looked on in shock at the isolation room, where the pollution detection readings were fluctuating wildly. The contamination was vanishing at a terrifying rate, dropping to single digits within seconds and finally stabilizing at 6.

The bark-like texture on the little girl’s face flaking off, revealing her soft, pale cheeks. She rubbed her eyes with her small hands as if she had just woken up.

After a moment, she seemed to realize this wasn’t her home and began timidly searching for her mother.

"Mommy?" she called out. "Where's Mommy?"

At the same time, the detection system issued its final alert.

"Scan complete—environmental pollution level in the isolation room is 0. The patient's own pollution level is 8. No signs of spreading contamination. No physical pollution characteristics detected. Normal human thought patterns detected. No psychological abnormalities detected."

"Warning: An unaffected human has entered the containment facility. Medical staff in the vicinity, please respond immediately to the scene!"